Love Hits Hard

Chapter 11-Run

I felt the cold morning air surrounding me and rushing through my soaking wet hair as I ran from the house.

I felt the air drying out the tears that were streaming down my face. I felt as though I wasn't in control of my emotions anymore; I wasn't myself.

I finally stopped running I would say when I was close to half a mile away from the house and it was just a small dot through the tree filled forest.

I looked around and saw a small tree stump and sat down on it, catching my breath as I wiped the tears from my face.

I quickly gathered my hair in my hands and tied it into some sort of a knot since I didn't have a hair tie with me.

"What is wrong with me?" I whispered to myself. "I'm so stupid, I should have gone home last night. Now everyone is going to think that I'm a slut. He's probably going to go out and tell everyone how he slept with the single mom who was begging him for it," I said with a laugh and stood up, kicking at the dirt.

"Athena?" I heard a voice call in the distance.

"Shit," I breathed out. "Why is he looking for me?"

"Athena? Where are you? You're going to get sick, it's freezing out."

"Go away," I screamed and turned around and kept walking deeper into the forest.

As I heard footsteps getting louder behind me, I ran faster, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Athena, stop," I heard the voice that I assumed was Brendan behind me, getting closer by the second.

My legs were burning from sprinting and I stopped and hid behind a large tree.

I heard the footsteps slowing down and closed my eyes tightly, trying to stop the tears.

"Athena?" I heard a soft voice calling me.

"Go away," I said softly and turned my body to face the other way, still keeping my eyes closed.

"Athena, look at me," he said stepping closer to me.

"Get away from me," I screamed at him.

"Athena, why?"

"You're killing me."

"What do you mean?"

"You did this to me."

"What did I do to you?"

"You turned me into this," I said turning to look at him.

"Into what Athena? What did I do to you?"

"Are you happy now?"

"Jesus Christ, happy with what?" He shouted at me.

"Everyone's going to say that I'm a slut now, are you happy? The single mom is going around banging guys two years older than her. She has daddy issues so she's desperate. That's what they're going to say about me, are you happy?"

"What do you mean?"

"There's no way that you won't go around, bragging that you got another notch on your belt this time."

"Athena," he said getting closer to me.

"Back up," I said through my clenched teeth.

"You are not another notch on a belt, you are so much more to me."

"Save it for the soap operas."

"Well, what do you want me to say then?"

"Nothing, I didn't want you here."

"Well, too bad."

"Get away from me."

"If you didn't notice, this isn't back home. We're in the woods, two hours away from home and miles away from anyone else. You are not safe here," he said with a stern voice.

"You're not my father, stop reprimanding me like I'm a child, I'm not."

"You are a child."

"Fuck off."

"No," he said folding his arms.

"Get away from me, right now before I hurt you."

"We both know that you wouldn't do that Athena," he said in a testing tone.

"Try me," I hissed at him.

"We're going in circles right now, come home."

"Home? That may be your home but it's not mine."

"Fine, come to my home and let's talk this over when we're not freezing and you're not harming your health."

"I don't want or need your help."

"I know you don't, that's why I'm not asking you."

"You're being a total ass right now, you know that right?" I said as I began to walk away but he grabbed my arm pulling me back.

"What? Did you want for me to leave to run out into the cold and freeze yourself close to death? Why are you so upset?"

"Brendan, everyone's going to call me a slut and a hoe and whatever they want," I said as I started to cry.

"Who's everyone?" He asked, calming himself down.

"The people at school, your friends, Adam probably."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because by the time we get back to school on Monday, there's a large chance that everyone will know about us."

"How will they find out?" He asked, taking a few steps closer to me.

"I'm sure you've already bragged to your friends say how you banged a random junior."

"When and why would I have done that?"

"I don't know, maybe because that's what guys your age do. You guys don't think about the consequences that your actions have."

"What have I done to show you that I'm irresponsible and a total jerk?"

"I don't know, you're just the same age as Adam was when we first got together and I got pregnant soon after, I don't think I can afford to have another kid and we've had unprotected sex a lot in the past 24 hours."

"Do you want to go get the morning after pill or something like that?"

"No, I have to deal with the consequences to my actions," I said with a sigh as I sat on the cold ground.

"Well, whatever happens, I'm completely ready to provide for you, Jackson, and whatever babies may come," he said as he sat down next to me.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" I asked as I leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Because I can tell that you're having a hard time right now and I would be the worst person in the world if I got mad at you for being stressed."

"Brendan, in all seriousness, what would we do if I was pregnant again?"

"Well, we have to wait and see to find out but all I can tell you is that I would love our children unconditionally."

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